People who bought this also bought...

A Great Deliverance

By:
Elizabeth George

Narrated by:
Derek Jacobi

Length: 2 hrs and 58 mins

Abridged

Overall

200

Performance

144

Story

145

To this day, the low, thin wail of an infant can be heard in Keldale's lush green valleys. Three hundred years ago, as legend goes, the frightened Yorkshire villagers smothered a crying babe in Keldale Abbey, where they'd hidden to escape the ravages of Cromwell's raiders.Now into Keldale's pastoral web of old houses and older secrets comes Scotland Yard Inspector Thomas Lynley, the eighth earl of Asherton. Along with the redoubtable Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, Lynley has been sent to solve a savage murder that has stunned the peaceful countryside. For fat, unlovely Roberta Teys has been found in her best dress, an axe at her side, seated in the old stone barn beside her father's headless corpse. Her first and last words were "I did it. I'm not sorry."Yet as Lynley and Havers wind their way through Keldale's dark labyrinth of secret scandals and appalling crimes, they uncover a shattering series of revelations that will reverberate through this tranquil English valley- and in their own lives as well.

The first and best Elizabeth George

By
Ellen
on
03-09-05

The Punishment She Deserves

A Lynley Novel

By:
Elizabeth George

Narrated by:
Simon Vance

Length: Not Yet Known

Unabridged

Overall

0

Performance

0

Story

0

Inspector Thomas Lynley of Scotland Yard and his pugnacious and deeply loyal Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers find themselves up against one of the most sinister murder cases they have ever encountered. Fans of the longtime series will love the many characters from past books who join Lynley and Havers, but listeners new to the series will quickly see why Elizabeth George is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed writers of our time.

The Heiress of Linn Hagh

By:
Karen Charlton

Narrated by:
Michael Page

Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins

Unabridged

Overall

1,685

Performance

1,518

Story

1,511

Northumberland, 1809: A beautiful young heiress disappears from her locked bedchamber at Linn Hagh. The local constables are baffled and the townsfolk cry "witchcraft". The heiress' uncle summons help from Detective Lavender and his assistant, Constable Woods, who face one of their most challenging cases.

Good, solid cosy mystery

By
Ms Lixie
on
07-08-15

Secret Santa (Cherringham - A Cosy Crime Series: Mystery Shorts 25)

By:
Matthew Costello,
Neil Richards

Narrated by:
Neil Dudgeon

Length: 2 hrs and 35 mins

Unabridged

Overall

249

Performance

219

Story

220

Bill Vokes has played Santa at the children's Christmas show for years. But with the show just hours away, he vanishes with no explanation. The whole village is baffled. Did something bad happen to loveable Bill, upstanding citizen, churchgoer, life and soul of the party and the holiday season? Jack and Sarah are on the case - and soon discover there are secrets about this Santa that no one could have imagined.

I love this series! please make more!

By
Amazon Customer
on
01-11-18

Raven Black

Book One of the Shetland Island Quartet

By:
Ann Cleeves

Narrated by:
Gordon Griffin

Length: 11 hrs and 20 mins

Unabridged

Overall

1,570

Performance

1,412

Story

1,414

It is a cold January morning, and Shetland lies beneath a deep layer of snow. Trudging home, Fran Hunter's eye is drawn to a splash of color on the frozen ground, ravens circling above. It is the strangled body of her teenage neighbor, Catherine Ross. The locals on the quiet island stubbornly focus their gaze on one man - loner and simpleton Magnus Tait.

Great start to series, no audio problems anymore

By
Mark
on
03-28-17

After the Fire

By:
Henning Mankell,
Marlaine Delargy - translator

Narrated by:
Sean Barrett

Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins

Unabridged

Overall

64

Performance

53

Story

54

Fredrik Welin is a former surgeon who retired in disgrace decades earlier to a tiny island on which he is the only resident. He has a daughter he rarely sees, and his mailman, Jansson, is the closest thing he has to a friend and to an adversary. He is perfectly content to live out his days in quiet solitude. One autumn evening, he is startled awake by a blinding light - only to discover that his house is on fire. With the help of Jansson, he escapes the flames just in time wearing two left boots.

Most boring book this year

By
David
on
11-16-17

A Great Deliverance

By:
Elizabeth George

Narrated by:
Derek Jacobi

Length: 2 hrs and 58 mins

Abridged

Overall

200

Performance

144

Story

145

To this day, the low, thin wail of an infant can be heard in Keldale's lush green valleys. Three hundred years ago, as legend goes, the frightened Yorkshire villagers smothered a crying babe in Keldale Abbey, where they'd hidden to escape the ravages of Cromwell's raiders.Now into Keldale's pastoral web of old houses and older secrets comes Scotland Yard Inspector Thomas Lynley, the eighth earl of Asherton. Along with the redoubtable Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, Lynley has been sent to solve a savage murder that has stunned the peaceful countryside. For fat, unlovely Roberta Teys has been found in her best dress, an axe at her side, seated in the old stone barn beside her father's headless corpse. Her first and last words were "I did it. I'm not sorry."Yet as Lynley and Havers wind their way through Keldale's dark labyrinth of secret scandals and appalling crimes, they uncover a shattering series of revelations that will reverberate through this tranquil English valley- and in their own lives as well.

The first and best Elizabeth George

By
Ellen
on
03-09-05

The Punishment She Deserves

A Lynley Novel

By:
Elizabeth George

Narrated by:
Simon Vance

Length: Not Yet Known

Unabridged

Overall

0

Performance

0

Story

0

Inspector Thomas Lynley of Scotland Yard and his pugnacious and deeply loyal Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers find themselves up against one of the most sinister murder cases they have ever encountered. Fans of the longtime series will love the many characters from past books who join Lynley and Havers, but listeners new to the series will quickly see why Elizabeth George is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed writers of our time.

The Heiress of Linn Hagh

By:
Karen Charlton

Narrated by:
Michael Page

Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins

Unabridged

Overall

1,685

Performance

1,518

Story

1,511

Northumberland, 1809: A beautiful young heiress disappears from her locked bedchamber at Linn Hagh. The local constables are baffled and the townsfolk cry "witchcraft". The heiress' uncle summons help from Detective Lavender and his assistant, Constable Woods, who face one of their most challenging cases.

Good, solid cosy mystery

By
Ms Lixie
on
07-08-15

Secret Santa (Cherringham - A Cosy Crime Series: Mystery Shorts 25)

By:
Matthew Costello,
Neil Richards

Narrated by:
Neil Dudgeon

Length: 2 hrs and 35 mins

Unabridged

Overall

249

Performance

219

Story

220

Bill Vokes has played Santa at the children's Christmas show for years. But with the show just hours away, he vanishes with no explanation. The whole village is baffled. Did something bad happen to loveable Bill, upstanding citizen, churchgoer, life and soul of the party and the holiday season? Jack and Sarah are on the case - and soon discover there are secrets about this Santa that no one could have imagined.

I love this series! please make more!

By
Amazon Customer
on
01-11-18

Raven Black

Book One of the Shetland Island Quartet

By:
Ann Cleeves

Narrated by:
Gordon Griffin

Length: 11 hrs and 20 mins

Unabridged

Overall

1,570

Performance

1,412

Story

1,414

It is a cold January morning, and Shetland lies beneath a deep layer of snow. Trudging home, Fran Hunter's eye is drawn to a splash of color on the frozen ground, ravens circling above. It is the strangled body of her teenage neighbor, Catherine Ross. The locals on the quiet island stubbornly focus their gaze on one man - loner and simpleton Magnus Tait.

Great start to series, no audio problems anymore

By
Mark
on
03-28-17

After the Fire

By:
Henning Mankell,
Marlaine Delargy - translator

Narrated by:
Sean Barrett

Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins

Unabridged

Overall

64

Performance

53

Story

54

Fredrik Welin is a former surgeon who retired in disgrace decades earlier to a tiny island on which he is the only resident. He has a daughter he rarely sees, and his mailman, Jansson, is the closest thing he has to a friend and to an adversary. He is perfectly content to live out his days in quiet solitude. One autumn evening, he is startled awake by a blinding light - only to discover that his house is on fire. With the help of Jansson, he escapes the flames just in time wearing two left boots.

Most boring book this year

By
David
on
11-16-17

A Share in Death

By:
Deborah Crombie

Narrated by:
Michael Deehy

Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins

Unabridged

Overall

1,054

Performance

907

Story

906

A week's holiday in a luxurious hotel is just what Scotland Yard's Superintendent Duncan Kincaid needs. But his vacation ends dramatically with the discovery of a dead body in the whirlpool bath. Despite a suspicious lack of cooperation from the local constabulary, Kincaid's keen sense of duty won't allow him to ignore the heinous crime, impelling him to send for his enthusiastic young assistant, Sergeant Gemma James. But the stakes are raised significantly when a second murder occurs....

series readers, start here

By
connie
on
02-09-13

Pickpocket's Apprentice

By:
Sheri Cobb South

Narrated by:
Joel Froomkin

Length: 2 hrs and 32 mins

Unabridged

Overall

148

Performance

142

Story

141

When magistrate Patrick Colquhoun orders a habitual thief and ne'er-do-well transported to Botany Bay, he doesn't realize a 14-year-old boy has been left behind to follow in his father's footsteps - not until young John Pickett is hauled into Bow Street for stealing an apple from the produce market at Covent Garden. Feeling to some extent responsible for the boy, Mr. Colquhoun prevails upon Elias Granger, a prosperous coal merchant, to take him on as an apprentice.

Delicious language, wonderful narrator

By
korinka
on
10-14-16

I, Richard

By:
Elizabeth George

Narrated by:
Derek Jacobi

Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins

Unabridged

Overall

60

Performance

11

Story

10

Hailed by
The New York Times as "a master of the British Mystery", award-winning author Elizabeth George is cherished by readers on both sides of the Atlantic. Her first collection of short stories is an extraordinary offering that deftly explores the lengths to which people will go to get what they want most.

Jacobi does a dreadful American accent

By
Brigid
on
12-11-09

A Test of Wills

By:
Charles Todd

Narrated by:
Samuel Giles

Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins

Unabridged

Overall

670

Performance

592

Story

586

Ian Rutledge returns to his career at Scotland Yard after years fighting in the First World War. Unknown to his colleagues he is still suffering from shell shock, and is burdened with the guilt of having had executed a young soldier on the battlefield for refusing to fight. A jealous colleague has learned of his secret and has managed to have Rutledge assigned to a difficult case which could spell disaster for Rutledge whatever the outcome. A retired officer has been murdered, and Rutledge goes to investigate.

When an American tourist goes missing in Cherringham, the local police don't see reason for concern - people often wander away from such tours. But when that tourist's sister shows up from New York, desperately looking for answers, Jack and Sarah become convinced there's more to the disappearance than meets the eye. Soon, they are entangled in a mystery with a secret history of betrayal, sacrifice, dishonor... and death.

The vanishing tourist

By
tpalyn
on
01-24-18

Anthem for Doomed Youth

A Daisy Dalrymple Mystery

By:
Carola Dunn

Narrated by:
Lucy Rayner

Length: 10 hrs and 36 mins

Unabridged

Overall

50

Performance

46

Story

45

In the Spring of 1926, the corpses of three men are found in shallow graves off the beaten path in Epping Forest outside of London - each shot through the heart and bearing no identification. DCI Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard, the lead detective, is immediately given two urgent orders by his supervisor at the Yard: solve the murders quickly and keep his wife, the Honorable Daisy Dalrymple Fletcher, away from the case! Thankfully, Daisy's off visiting their daughter at school. But when a teacher is found dead, Daisy is once again in the thick of it.

Powerful Daisy Mystery

By
Victoria J. Mejia-Gewe
on
01-09-18

Publisher's Summary

Barbara Havers puts her career on the line while DI Thomas Lynley attempts to straighten her out before it's too late.

When Hadiyyah Upman disappears from London in the company of her mother, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers is as devastated as the girl's father. They are her close friends as well as neighbours, but since the child is with her mother, nothing can be done.

Five months later, Hadiyyah is kidnapped from an open air market in Lucca, Italy, and this triggers an investigation in the full glare of the media spotlight. Barbara's clever manipulation of the worst of London's tabloids forces New Scotland Yard to become involved. But rather than Barbara herself, her superior officer DI Thomas Lynley is assigned to handle a situation made delicate by racial issues, language difficulties, and the determination of an Italian magistrate to arrest and convict someone - anyone - for the crime.

Story

And with a single bound, Jack was free!

I was hooked, no doubt, it was a good read from that point of view but the ending did have a sort of "with a single bound Jack was free" feel to it. Davina Porter is right up there on my list of favourite narrators, she manages male and female very well and certainly makes the plot come alive. I did want to smack Barbara Havers (as, I suspect, did Lynley!) from time to time but it looks as if the talented duo are destined to ride again in the future. I hope there is more with Lynley's romantic state the next time too, I like Deirdre!

Bad writing, bad read

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Someone should have mentioned to Davina Porter that this book was not written by Enid Blyton and that she didn't need to act out every blade of grass, car, brick, house, mood or expression. Very bad read. Don't even start me on the clumsy Italian .... not her fault entirely, Elizabeth George shares much of the blame for putting it there in the first place.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Utter frustration. I have never yelled at a book so much. Barbara Havers used to be such an interesting, quirky character now she's just a moron.

Any additional comments?

I think the Lynley series has finally jumped the shark.

Sort by:

Overall

Performance

Story

barjil

11-18-13

Agreeing with other listeners.......

Would you consider the audio edition of Just One Evil Act to be better than the print version?

No. As other reviewers have said, there's far too much Italian. I can read Italian a bit but couldn't follow the speech. It would have been better if the author had translated somehow where necessary because sometimes the Italian was relevant to the plot. Also the names would be easier to follow in print.

Would you be willing to try another book from Elizabeth George? Why or why not?

I have always loved Elizabeth George's books and grabbed this one before there were any reviews. It is a disappointment.

What didn’t you like about Davina Porter’s performance?

Her voice wasn't suitable to the book - a man would have been better. Maybe she was chosen for her Italian?

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Too long and complicated for one sitting.

Any additional comments?

I am just at the end of Part 3 and no longer really care who did what to whom but am gritting my teeth to get to the end. This seems quite different from Elizabeth George's previous Lynley books and seems a bit self-indulgent.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Overall

Performance

Story

Erika Salzeck

12-28-13

What a struggle!

Elizabeth George a writer whom I have admired until recently is really scraping the barrel with this one. This is a shame because she could have cut 50% of the unnecessary verbiage & possibly ended up with a half decent novel. As it stands this is painfully long and crammed with verbal detritus which badly detract from the essential storyline. I only stuck with it because of a feeling of loyalty and the constant hope that at some point she would return to form. Sadly it never happened.Davina Porter's stiff uber plummy narration has always been a major downside to Elizabeth Georges audiobook repertoire. In this book though my patience finally snapped. The reading was ill prepared and Ms Porter's control of her material was poor but the coup de grace was her truly execrable Italian accent - each time she switched to Italian it was like listening to fingernails scraping down a blackboard! Is it too much to expect that narrators do a bit of research & preparation before the reading?

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Overall

Performance

Story

Crime Fiction Groupie

11-28-13

What a disappointment

I've not even finished this (still on first download section), and am already suspicious that I may not return for the rest. I've loved George's Lynley novels for a long time, although had seen a gradual downturn over the last 2-3 books. But this is a train-crash of a book.

The story: should have been interesting, as I have enjoyed the Havers/Haddiya/Azhar storyline. However the Lynley/new girlfriend thread is just not gelling at all. And now the storyline has moved to Italy - and we have the pseudo-Italian lessons. A seemingly random selection of Italian words being thrown in, with translation/context not always provided. Why on earth would the author think readers want to be distracted by this? Added to her increasing habit of pretentious use of long words and her tendency to not use 1 word where she can throw in 10.............. I'm really struggling so far.

And now we come to the narrator - OMG. The story might have just about kept me engaged (hence the 2 stars), but the performance is awful. There is a complete mangling of accents for Havers, Ardery, even Lynley, on top of the most unconvincing London accents for the minor characters that I've ever heard in 5 years of audiobook listening. Maybe the Italian accent is better to native Italian speakers, but to this untutored ear it sounds rather forced. Based on this performance, I'd actively avoid anything with this narrator in future - sorry Ms Porter.

So I'm unable to recommend this to anyone but the most die-hard of George fans, and might suggest purchasing the book rather than the audiobook. Sad to be striking a favourite author off my future purchase list.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Overall

Performance

Story

Stephanie

03-21-14

Narrator needs to prepare!

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Not necessarily. Plot was good, narration was poor..

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

The only sensible ending that could happen, I believe..

Who might you have cast as narrator instead of Davina Porter?

Crispin (who narrated Careless in Red) who was excellent.This narrator had not prepared the significant amount of Italian spoken in the book. The pronunciation was often awful and significantly wrong in most instances and particularly important when several tracts of Italian was not translated into English. As a Brit who speaks Italian fluently, even I could not understand some of the very badly spoken phrases! Bring back Crispin I say!

Would you be willing to try another one of Davina Porter’s performances?

Never. A simply shocking perofrmance. I turned off after forty-five minutes and will not bother with the rest. (I've never done this before with any audio-book.)

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Just One Evil Act?

I only got a short way into this book, so this cannot answer this.

Any additional comments?

An average book, dragged further down by an awful narration.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Overall

Performance

Story

Elinor Dashwood

12-29-13

A story better read than heard?

The story is fine - not perhaps Elizabeth George's best, but still worth a read.

Unfortunately the book is let down by the narrator, who sounds like an older lady with a rather old fashioned way of reading better suited to 1950's cosy murder mysteries than modern crime novels. It just doesn't do the story justice.

Additionally, there's a lot (a lot!) of usage of Italian which is untranslated. I somehow think it would be easier to get a gist of things, and also to remember the Italian names, if the reader actually saw the text in black and white.

In summary: I suggested listening to a long sample before purchasing. (When will I ever learn that I always need to do this?!)

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Overall

Performance

Story

Ms K. Pell

01-29-14

Very disappointing.

If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

As I was unable to listen beyond the first couple of chapters, I don't feel able to say who might enjoy it more.

What could Elizabeth George have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

As someone who speaks no Italian, I found my mind switching off from all the Italian phrases and couldn't say if they were places, people or conversation and lost chunks of the story at these points, although, with hindsight, don't feel that I missed a great deal worth listening to. Perhaps Elizabeth George could consider how much value this added to her storyline compared to the confusion experienced by, I am sure, other listeners.

Would you be willing to try another one of Davina Porter’s performances?

Absolutely not. The narrator's shrillness of tone and attempts at regional accents made the book impossible for me to listen to. I really should have read the reviews as I have since read the same point raised several times. Lesson learned.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Very disappointing. I have read all of the Inspector Lynley books and this is the first that I attempted to listen to. Aside from my previous comments about the narrator, even in the first few chapters that I tried to follow, my lasting impression is that I would have been disappointed in the story had I been able to grit my teeth and carry on for longer.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Overall

Performance

Story

Amazon Queen

10-01-16

Odd narration

Great story again, but narration very off putting. Suddenly Isabelle Ardery is Scottish, Havers a Londoner and Deirdre went from Daydre to Die-dre throughout the book. Lorenzo became Loranzo and towards the end I missed chunks waiting for the mispronunciation.

Overall

Performance

Story

M MacInnes

05-19-15

Twists and turns aplenty

I wondered from about half way how this book was going to conclude and I have to say I was not disappointed in the least. Beautifully written you feel got the character. Even the bad ones! I loved it

Overall

Performance

Story

Ecovisitor

02-07-15

Good listen despite plodding Italian!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Its not the best audio book I have listened to, but the story was enough to keep me interested

What did you like best about this story?

I like the characters of Inspector Linley and Sgt Havers and their interaction

What aspect of Davina Porter’s performance might you have changed?

I wasn't a fan of her plodding rendering of the Italian phrases.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It was all a bit pedestrian although I liked the sinister nature of the plot. I felt a bit uncomfortable about the constant reference to race and religion- 'the muslim man....' the Pakistani.... etc etc It seemed a bit over the top and not how we speak in England.

Any additional comments?

even though it wasn't my favourite, I'm still looking forward to the next one.

Sort by:

Overall

Performance

Story

Linda Robinson

04-16-17

Davina Porter - The best narrator ever.

The narrator is the make or break for a novels success. She brings all the characters to life with her gift for portraying males, females and children of any age and cultural background. There is no one even close to her talents.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Overall

Mr. T.J. Burt

06-15-16

just one evil act

This book is spoiled by the over done narration. Too superior and hopeless with accents, Davina Porter is to be avoided in future